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Monday, 19 March 2012

PELICAN - Ataraxia/Taraxis Review

Pelican. Right no description is needed for these guys. I know who they are and I am 100% certain you know they are. So no introduction is needed.

Pelican are one of the legendary bands of the Sludge/Post-Metal scene though I know they hate being restricted to any scene. So let’s call Pelican one of the best bands of the underground scene.

Pelican are back with their outstanding new EP – “Ataraxia/Taraxis”. A 4 song 18 masterclass of Instrumental Sludge Metal mixed in with elements of sublime Post-Rock.

This is Pelican’s first new material since 2009’s last album – “What We All Come To Need” which was praised by critics and fans alike.

Well their new EP is a continuation of their last superb release. It’s full of heavy pounding Sludge/Post-Metal riffs we have come to love Pelican for.

Things start off quietly with the mostly Ambient/Post-Rock beautifully driven “Ataraxia”. A quietly understated song driven by a haunting ambient/post-rock score. Guitars and drumming are at a minimum here.

But things done stay quiet for long as Pelican then get back into familiar territory of delivering hard hitting Sludge/Post-Metal riffs. “Lathe Biosas” is what Pelican do best. Mixing all the Sludge/Post-Rock/Ambient genres to loud crushing effect. And its one of the albums standout tracks.

It shows these guys have lost none of their drive and vision to cement their place as the best Instrumental Sludge Metal band has to offer.

The other two tracks “Parasite Colony” and “Taraxis” are both superb songs to check out as well. Parasite Colony features the heaviest riffs that Pelican in a long while. It’s a 4:41 minute blast of sublime riffs that shows why these guys are masters of the genre.

“Taraxis” closes this superb EP brilliantly well. It’s an understated gem that is played slowly with some great acoustic guitar work thrown in with hints of subtle ambient/post-rock music. This is another song that has another haunting feel to it. Wait till the 3rd minute when the quiet and loud aspects of Pelican both collide to create something truly wonderful. Awesome stuff.

These guys are laying down the groundwork and foundations for future musicians to come. And this EP shows a band who are still at the top of their game after so many great years of service.

This EP is a great release from a truly genre-defining amazing band. And I hope Pelican will carry on creating amazing music for many years to come.

Band Submissions

To those bands who have recently issued their first demo or album via bandcamp and would like to be featured on our 666 Pack Review or considered for a full review or stream please contact Aaron via email including your EPK, band bio, album file or download code, including artwork.

To those bands issuing their sophomore record and so on and would like to be considered for a review or stream on the blog. Get in touch using the same address above

We will consider bands from any genre but exclusively stoner, sludge, doom, psych, post-metal, experimental, black-metal etc. (Whilst I would like to respond to every email, this is not always possible.) Thanks